Gate



Feb. 2, 1943. c. N. DILATUSH GATE Filed July 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Mann/an Patente d Feb. 2, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT orrica 2,309,694 GATE,

Charles N. Dilatush, Memphis, Tenn.

Application July 8... 1940, Serial No. 344,367

2 Claims.

Thi invention relates to gates, and particularly to means for operating a gate on the approach of a vehicle thereto and the subsequent closing of' the gate after passage of the vehicle.

The invention is an improvement on the gate shown in Patent No. 2,197,852, issued. April 23, 1940.

In the operation of the gate in the patent referred to it was found that, upon latching of the lever there shown, after operating depression of the actuating member by the passage of the forward wheel of a vehicle approaching the gate, the actuating member responding to the urge of its spring member returned to upright position prior to the passage thereover of the rear wheels of the vehicle, thus causing damage to wiring and other devices carried on the under side of such vehicle. It also was found in many instances that upon being freed from the pressure of the vehicle wheel the actuating member in its return passed the normal upright position and came to a position in which the horizontal U-shaped portion caught the full weight of the rear vehicle wheel without being able to yield tothat pressure so that the actuating mechanism was damaged or rendered useless.

The objects of this invention are:

To provide a gate operating mechanism which is responsive to the approach of a vehicle to the gate and in which the actions are completed by movement of the vehicle away from the gate after passage therethrough.

A further object is to provide a gate operating mechanism which is operated by the passage of a single wheel of the vehicle thereover and means for latching the operated mechanism in inoperative position during passage thereover of another wheel of the vehicle or a wheel or wheels of a trailer connected thereto, and vehicle wheel operated means for subsequently releasing and resetting the mechanism after the vehicle has passed through the opened gate.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished and'the method of their accomplishment will readily be understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the gate in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken as on the line II-II of Fig. 1, showing particularly the gate operating mechanisms spaced laterally on each side of the gate.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a fragmentary portion of the gate in open position.

, parison with the length of the legs.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken as on the line IV-,IV of Fig. 2..

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken, on the line V-V of Fig. 4 showing the trip lever in vehicle operated position, corresponding to the open position of the gate in Fig. 3, and showing the related latch release mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the opposite gate operating mechanism with the latch release in operated position.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals:

i0 is a gate pivotally supported as by an axle l I, carried by supporting posts E2, the gate being.

counter-balanced by suitable weights l3. to assist in swinging the'gate about the axle II from the horizontal position shown in Fig. l to the Vertical position shown in Fig. 3. l5 and I6 are frame forming part of operating mechanisms which are substantial duplicates except that their parts are in reverse position.

l1 and I8 are actuating members adjacent the frames l5 and I6 respectively. Each actuating member, a preferable form of which is shown in Fig. 4, comprises a horizontal bar portion 2| carried in bearings 22, 23. At its outer end the horizontal portion 2| has an upwardly turned and inverted shallow U-shaped continuation 24, the bottom of the U being greatly elongated in com- The bottom of the U is covered by a pipe forming a roller 25, of metal or other suitable material.

The horizontal portion 2i has at its inner end an upwardly turned portion 25 which is reversely bent to form a horizontal arm 21, adapted to operably contact a triplever 28.

Secured to the frame l5 as by clamps 38 is a bar 3|, and secured to frame I6, as by clamps 30-.A, is a similar bar 32. 33 is a latch arm connected to bar 3| as by a pivot pin 34, which latch arm has at its lower end an L-shaped latch 35, adapted to engage with and retain the horizontal arm 21, when same is depressed by action of the U-shaped portion 24, when such portion is operated by a vehicle approaching the gate in the direction indicated in Fig. 5, by arrow A. 36 is a similar latch arm, similarly attached to the bar 3| as by a pivot pin 31, and having an L- shaped latch 38, similarly adapted to engage with and retain the arm 21 when said arm is depressed in the opposite direction by the operation of the U, 24, by a vehicle. 39 is a cross member secured to the frame [5 intermediate the bar 3| and the bottom of the frame H) as by clamps til. 4| are adjustable stops carried by the crossv member 39, positioned to limit the movement of the latch arms 33 and 36. A tension spring 42 is connected to the inner surfaces of latches 33 and 36 by suitable connections and is adapted to restore the latch arms to vertical position. 43 is a tension spring attached to and depending from the upper rail of the frame l5, and attached to the upturned portion 26 of the actuating member I1 and adapted to restore this member to upright operating position.

The lever 28 is provided with a hub member 5|, turnably mounted on the horizontal portion 2|. Adjacent the upper end of the lever 28, a cable 52 is attached, said cable extending upwardly to and over a pulley 53, thence downwardly and over a pulley 54, thence toward the gate l0. Interposed between the pulley 54 and the gate I6 is a tension spring 55, from Which spring section the cable extends to and over a pulley 56, thence up- V numeral designating the counterpart. Thus the horizontal arm 2|A of the actuating member I8 is adapted to operably contact a lever 28-A. 33A is a latch arm connected to the bar 32 as by a pivot pin 34A. 35A is the L-shaped latch adapted to engage with and retain the horizontal arm 2|A, in manner identical with the action of the latch 35. 36-A is a latch arm, similarly attached to the bar 32 as by apivot pin 31A, and having an L-shaped latch 38A adapted for purpose similar to that of the latch 38. 39-A is a cross member secured to the frame I 6 intermediate the bar 32 and the bottom of the frame l6 by clamps 40-A. 4|-A are adjustable stops carried by cross member 39-A positioned to limit the movement of the latch arms 33- -A and 36A. To the inner surfaces of these latch arms is connected a tension spring 42A functioning similarly to the spring 42. 43--A is a tension spring attached to the frame IS in manner similar to the attachment of the spring 43 to the frame l5 and adapted, with respect to the arm 2|A of the actuatin member l8, to function similarly to the spring 43.

5|--A is the hub member of the lever 2B-A turnably mounted on horizontal portion 2| of the actuating member I8. The cable and pulley ar-' rangement with the lever 28A is identical with that of the lever 28. In it 52A is a cable passing upward and over a pulley 53-A, thence downwardly and over a pulley 54-A, thence toward the gate l0. Intermediate the pulley 54A and the gate I0 is a tension spring 55A, from which spring the cable 52A extends to and over a pulley 56A, thence upwardly to and passing around the drum section 51 to the rod 6| to which the cable is slidably attached.

A- cable 63 extends from the latch 35 to the upwardly turned portion 26 of the actuating member l8, and a similar cable 63-A extends from the latch 35A to the portion 26 of the actuating member I1.

Attached to the latch 38 is a cable extending therefrom to and over a pulley 72, thence to and over a pulley 13, thence upward to a connection, as a ring 14, which is attached to the gate ID by a suitable connecting portion or link 15,

through a pin 16, which pin is oflset from the hub of the gate III to cause tension through the link 15 in the cables H and 1|A on downward movement of the gate In, from open to closed position. Similarly cable 1|A is attached to the latch 38A, extending therefrom to and over a pulley '|2A, thence to and over a pulley '|3A, thence upward to the ring 14.

The operation of raising and lowering the gate H1 is essentially the same as that described in my Patent No. 2,197,852 to which reference may be had. Likewise the fundamental construction and mounting of the device is essentially the same.

In the present construction the actuating members l1 and i8 are positioned near the edge of the roadway leading to and from the gate 10 and at desired distances in opposite directions therefrom. The U-shaped members 24 are so placed as to be in the path of vehicle wheels approaching and leaving the gate.

The two frames related respectively to the actuating members I! and 8 are set up and the cables 52 and 52A are connected from the gate drum 5? in opposite directions to levers 28 and 28A respectively. The latch cables 63 and 63A are connected from the portions 26 and 26-A of the actuating members to the latches 35 and 35-A respectively and the cables H and 1|A are connected from the link 14 oppositely to the latches 38 and 38A.

In operation as the vehicle approaches the gate as from the left in Figs. 2 or 5, a front wheel strikes the U portion 24 of the actuating member I! forcing this U portion to the right and, through the arm 21, similarly moves the lever 28. When the arm 21 is depressed into operated position, it moves into latching engagement with the latch 35, in which position it is held. The movement of the lever 28 correspondingly moves the cable 52 and causes the gate to swing upward and open, allowing the vehicle to pass therethrough. The latch 35 retains the arm 21 in depressed position until the vehicle has completely passed, and the lever 28 is similarly held depressed, thus maintaining the open position of the gate for vehicle passage.

Upon leaving the gate, the vehicle approaches actuating member I8 and the wheel strikes the U portion 24 of that member, forcing this portion to the right, and likewise forcing the arm 2|A of the member l8 to the right and downward into latching engagement with the latch 38A. This movement of the arm 2|A correspondingly moves the cable 63, disengaging the latch 35, allowing the arm 21 of the member I! to be returned to vertical position by the spring 43, thus resetting this operating mechanism for subsequent use. The pressure on the lever 28 being thus released, and correspondingly the tension on the cable 52, the gate l0 descends by gravity into closed position.

The downward movement of the closing gate moves the offset pin 16 upward, causing tension on the cables II and 1|A through the link 15. The tensioning of the cable 1|A causes disengagement of the latch 38--A, allowing the arm 2|A of the member l8 to be returned to vertical position by the spring 43-A. Inasmuch as there is slack in the cables H and 1|A when the gate is open, the disengagement of the latch 3BA is not begun until the gate has closely ap-- I claim:

1. The combination with a gate closed by gravity action, of an operating device comprising a pair of mechanisms spaced oppositely from said ga t e in the direction of approach and departure of vehicles passing through said gate, which mechanisms each include a member disposed in the path of a wheel of a said vehicle and depressible by the approach passage of a said wheel, said member upon depression engaging means for opening said gate, a first latching means adapted to engage and retain said member in depressed position to maintain said gate in opened position, said member being reversibly depressible by departure passage of a said wheel, a second latching means adapted to engage and retain said member when reversibly depressed, spring means urging said latch means into engaging position, spring means urging said member toward resetting, cable means directly connecting said member of one said mechanism with the first latching means of the other said mechanism, operable by departure depression of said member to effect immediate release of said approach depressed member whereby to permit said gate to close and said approach depressed member to be reset, second cable means connecting said gate with said second latch for releasing said departure depressed member, said latter cable means being slack during the major portion of closure movement of said gate to delay release and resetting of said departure depressed member, whereby to permit complete passage thereover of all the wheels of a said vehicle.

2. The combination with a gate closed by gravity action, of an operating device comprising a pair of mechanisms spaced oppositely from said gate in the direction of approach and departure of vehicles passing through said gate, which each includes a member disposed in the path of a wheel of a said vehicle and depressible by the approach passage of a said wheel, said member upon depression engaging means for opening said gate, latching means adapted to engage and retain said member in depressed position to maintain said gate in opened position, said member being reversibly depressible by departure passage of a said wheel, second latching means adapted to engage and retain said member when reversibly depressed, spring means urging said latch means into engaging position, spring means urging said member toward resetting, cable means directly connecting said member of one said mechanism with the first latching means of the other said mechanism, operable by departure depression of said member to eifect immediate release of said approach depressed member whereby to permit said gate to close and said approach depressed member to be reset, cable means connecting said gate with said second latch for releasing said departure depressed member, said latter cable means being slack during the major portion of closure movement of said gate whereby to effect release and resetting of said departure depressed member only upon substantial completion of said closure to permit complete passage thereover of all the wheels of a said vehicle.

CHARLES N. DILATUSH. 

